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How Parents Can Help Their Children Avoid Car Accidents

michigan car accidents

Synopsis

  • The ‘100 Deadliest Days’ is the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day when more people are killed in crashes involving a teen driver than any other time of the year.
  • Michigan State Police data analyzed by the University of Michigan shows teens who choose to participate in distracted driving activities remain the most significant cause for concern.
  • Teens are more easily distracted by texting, riding with friends, eating, using drugs or alcohol, playing music, and using mobile apps while driving.
  • Parents can help their teens by modeling good driving behaviors, discuss the risk of dangerous distracted driving behaviors, and create a safe-driving contract to follow.

michigan car accidents

Teen Drivers Deadliest Days Are Here, Distraction May Be to Blame

Summer is fast approaching, so that means the ‘100 Deadliest Days’ for teen drivers on Michigan roads has begun. AAA reports fatal teen crash rates are to blame because of an increase in impaired driving, speeding, and distraction on the road during the summer, a time when the number of crash fatalities involving a younger driver historically rises.

While the latest crash data (2013-2017) provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) agrees with AAA that significant factors contributing to fatal teen crashes during this no school timeframe are speeding, drinking or drugged driving, and distraction, our motor vehicle accident attorneys continue to see a major upswing in the number of distracted driving accidents in Michigan. And we believe that percentage to continue to grow much higher than wrecks caused by reckless drivers who are speeding or driving impaired backed by more recent and specific data collected by the University of Michigan.

Michigan Drivers Should Know the Growing Risk of Distracted Driving

Distracted driving is driving while doing another activity that takes your attention away from operating your vehicle. A more recent 2019 survey by AAA says more than half of teen drivers (52 percent) admitted to reading a text message or email while driving and nearly 40 percent say they send texts or respond to emails. Since 2017, the state of Michigan alarmingly became one of a handful of states where distracted drivers are responsible for doubling the number of vehicle crashes vs. those caused by drunk drivers. And with as many as 60 percent of teen driving accidents due to distracted driving this is an important trend to recognize.

texting and driving statistics

How Parents Can Help

When a parent chooses to become involved in their teen driver’s skill training, that time spent can help reduce collisions and minimize the risk of related crash fatalities for all road users.

Parents can greatly help their teen driver by doing simple things like:

  • practicing good driving with their teen
  • modeling their best driver behavior
  • lead with safe driving habits like wearing a seat belt, obeying speed limits, stay off their phones
  • spend time reading and sharing articles like this with their teens

If you are not currently working with your teen driver and playing one of the most critical roles to keeping everyone, including your child, today is the perfect day to start.

Injured in a Teen Driving or Distracted Driving Accident?

If you or someone you love has been injured or killed in a motor vehicle accident caused by the poor decisions of a reckless driver, you and your family may be entitled to compensation for things like medical bills, lost wages, and funeral expenses.

Call The Lee Steinberg Law Firm today for a FREE consultation with one of our experienced Michigan auto accident attorneys: 1-800-LEE-FREE. With offices in DetroitFlintSaginaw, and Southfield, we are equipped to meet at a location that is convenient for you.

Also read: 12 Ways to Avoid Driving Distracted in 2019